November 3, 2020 General Election

Candidate Information for City Council Special Election

City residents interested in running for the City Council seat should complete the following steps. All information is available on the State Board of Elections (SBE) website.

1. Read the Candidate Bulletin: How to Run for Local Office in a Special Election.
   
   
2. Complete the Certificate of Candidate Qualification form for the office sought. This is due by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2020. It must be filed before a candidate can purchase a registered voter’s list.
   
   
3. Complete the Declaration of Candidacy form and Petition of Qualified Voter form These forms must be filed together by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2020:
   
   
   • Declaration of Candidacy Form
     
     
   • Petition of Qualified Voters ( 8 1/2 x 11 Letter Size or 8 1/2 x 14 Legal Size ). NOTE: Once the Certificate of Candidate Qualification and Declaration of Candidacy are filed, then the Petitions of Qualified Voters can begin being filed. This office requires 125 signatures from actively registered voters in the City of Falls Church and the Office of Voter Registration and Elections can help process those a page at a time until the 125 signature threshold is met.
4. Complete the necessary Campaign Finance documents and review the laws and policies for Campaign Committees.
   
   
   • Statement of Organization for a Candidate
   • Sign up for COMET (if planning to spend over $1,000 or accept monetary campaign donations): https://cf.elections.virginia.gov/Account/LogOn
5.  Complete the appropriate Statement of Economic Interest form. Candidates for local offices are required to file a SOEI with their local General Registrar; candidates should complete this form.
   
   
6. Submit all qualifying forms by the deadlines specified in the Candidate Bulletin: How to Run for Local Office in a Special Election.

 Potential candidates can contact the City’s Office of Voter Registration Elections at vote@fallschurchva.gov or 703-248-5085 (TTY 711) with questions.

On the Ballot

• US President
• US Senate
• US House of Representatives
• Special Elections for Two Amendments to the Virginia Constitution
• Special Election for one City Council Seat (Potential Candidates: scroll below for details)

A Sample Ballot will be posted once ballots are certified in mid-September.

Voter Registration and Voting Deadlines

• Voter Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 13 
  • 5:00 p.m. for in-person registration; 
  • 11:59 p.m. for online registration (vote.elections.virginia.gov);  
  • Postmarked October 13 for by-mail applications.
• Absentee Ballot (Vote By Mail) Application Deadline: Friday, October 23
  • Ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 3 AND in our office no later than noon on Friday, November 6 to be counted, if mailed.
  • Ballots must still be in our office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3 if it does not have a postmark.

Early/No Excuse Absentee Voting

NEW: As of July 1, 2020, Virginia has "no-excuse absentee voting." In other words, no longer will a voter need a "valid" reason to vote absentee. Voters are now allowed to vote early/absentee just because they choose too.

Voting Early In-Person

• In-Person early/absentee voting begins Friday, September 18, 2020. The last day to vote in-person absentee is Saturday, October 31.
• Vote in-person early/absentee at City Hall (300 Park Ave.) on weekdays (Monday-Friday), 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (hours subject to City Hall operating hours). Voters can also vote early on Saturday, October 24, and Saturday, October 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• As of July 2020, we are likely to implement a curbside service for all voters due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will update this website if that changes.
• Voters must bring a valid Voter ID, which as of July 1, 2020 includes their Voter Information Notice (aka Voter Card) or a utility bill with their name and registered address on it. Valid Photo IDs - such as a Virginia Drivers License, US Passport, or Employment Badge - are still accepted as Voter ID as well.

Voting By-Mail Absentee

• The easiest and best way to apply for a by-mail absentee ballot is to go to the Virginia Department of Elections website. 
• Voters are able to apply for an absentee ballot up to a year before any election and are encouraged to apply as soon as they choose to vote-by-mail.
• We will mail all ballots for which we have absentee by-mail applications by the end of September 2020. If you don’t have your ballot by October 2020 and think you applied for one, please contact our office so we can research.
• NEW: Track Your Ballot :: Voters can now lookup the status of their vote-by-mail ballots using the widget below, powered by Ballot Scout, which was created by Democracy Works, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, and is used in partnership with the City of Falls Church Office of Elections and Voter Registration. Ballot Scout tracks mail-in ballots and provides transparency for voters and election officials into where mail-in ballots are located, and ensures each vote is counted.
  
  Use the widget below or visit the Ballot Scout website to Track Your Ballot.